Data Center Hearing With Texas Lawmakers: According to KUT, the House Committee on State Affairs held a hearing with data center developers and other lawmakers in Austin to discuss how the industry should move forward, keeping grid constraints, surging energy costs, and lack of available water in mind. Pablo Vegas of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas explained that 410,000 more megawatts will be pulled from the state’s grid over the next few years, about seven times more than the necessary accommodations that ERCOT had to make in 2024. With data center construction on the rise, ERCOT is working on a new system to prioritize when the companies can access the grid, determine how much energy they can utilize, and require them to help pay for grid upgrades.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Groundbreaking: The city broke ground on the $1.5 billion Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion this week, Austin Water announced on Tuesday, April 14. Constructed in 1977, the plant currently treats up to 75 million gallons of water a day, which will expand to 100 million gallons a day after the expansion, serving over half of the city. City leaders have said that the investment will help better serve Austin – expected to reach a population of 1.5 million by 2040 – as it continues to experience rapid growth. “Today’s groundbreaking marks an important milestone in securing vital City Services, while energizing economic development and creating jobs,” said Mike Rogers, assistant city manager.
Downtown Water Main Break: A water main break occurred Downtown early in the morning on Monday, April 13, flooding streets and closing down a section of the city as crews worked to repair the pipes. At Red River and Sixth streets, an Austin Water crew worked to repair the damage, completing the project on Tuesday morning. Nearby businesses have expressed concerns with loss of typical traffic and if impacts will last. Local advocates are calling for city leaders to make efforts to update aging infrastructure. The city has not announced what caused the break…